Castles in The Sky
by Goldaylocks
Summary: Once upon a time, there lived a princess who had grown cold and a wolf who had grown soft. The two wanted only one thing. All they wanted was love. They wanted to be in love. Perhaps even with each other. But the two had learned that love was painful, but they were willing to make the sacrifices. AU, takes place in 1912.
1. Chapter 1

_Castles In the Sky_

_Chapter One_

If her soft fingers would just reach for his face once, he would be happy. If those red, gentle lips uttered his name for merely a single moment, he would be ecstatic. If her fair face would become red at his compliment, he would be overjoyed.

_If._

Not when.

_If._

He knew in his heart and soul that daydreaming would get him nowhere. It would only bring him high into the clouds and suddenly release him, letting him fall on the hard floor of reality.

His daydreams were merely fantasies; in no way, shape, or form would they ever become true. They would simply remain castles in the sky.

* * *

The sheriff took a deep breath, allowing the stank air of his apartment to fill his nostrils. Bottles of beer and cigars lay all over the floor of his bedroom. He didn't mind, though. He could care less about the condition of his small apartment. For the sheriff, this apartment was simply a place to sleep in at night. He could never consider it his home.

"You're _finally_ up," Colin's voice rang from the living room. "At this rate, I assumed you weren't going to get up until two in the afternoon."

"Shut up, Colin," Bigby replied in a gruff voice as he forced himself out of his old bed. "What time is it?"

"Ten in the morning. You're running late and I bet you that _shrew-"_

_"_She's not a shrew."

"Mhm. Whatever. Anyway, she's going to give you an earful when you get there."

Bigby merely nodded as he pulled his pants on, followed by his shirt and his tie and his vest.

"Hey, Colin?" he asked as he realized his dark coat was missing.

"What is it?"

"Have you seen my coat?"

There was a moment of silence.

"No," Colin finally replied, "I haven't."

"Just fuckin' great..." Bigby ran his fingers through his thick, brown mane and walked out of the room, picking up a cigar and a match, lighting it quickly. "I gotta go...don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"Aye, aye captain...hey, Bigby! You should probably shave!" But Bigby didn't hear his comment.

He had already left.

* * *

The _shrew _happened to be a petite woman in her early twenties. Her raven black hair had been done up in a large, voluminous updo as was fashionable during the era. Her lips were a scarlet color and her blue eyes were framed by full eyebrows.

She was the deputy mayor's assistant and an ardent suffragette. She was also the woman that the sheriff had fallen deeply in love with-unknown to the _shrew_, of course.

"He's _late_, Miss White!" the deputy mayor called out from his office. Miss White, who had been filing papers, stopped for a moment and walked into his office._  
_

"_Who _is late again, Mr. Crane?" she asked in a sweet voice, offering a smile to the man.

"That love sick sheriff!"

"Oh, Mr. Crane, I wouldn't call anyone love sick if I were _you_." Her tone turned vicious and her smile transformed into a smirk. "And Mr. Wolf is always late. You and I both know that."

"Well, do something about it!"

"Why is it always me? You're the mayor, after all. But yet, I'm doing all the work for you, acting almost as if I'm your _slave-_"

"Enough, Miss White! Out of my office, now!"

Miss White stared at the mayor and took deep breaths-as deep as her corset would allow her to- and walked out of his office, feeling snubbed and upset. She went over to sit down in one of the chairs that had been set right outside of Mr. Crane's office. After sitting down, the woman closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, sighing deeply.

"I'm not his goddamn errand girl," she whispered in a soft voice.

"What was that?" At first, she thought that somehow Crane had heard her, even though the old man was near deaf, but it didn't sound like his voice at all. She opened her eyes and looked at the man who had asked her the question.

"Nothing, Mr. Wolf," she replied, smiling at him with her scarlet lips. "You're late."

"I'm...I apologize," was his quiet reply as he studied her face. She was absolutely exquisite. Her lips moved effortlessly and her smile was slightly tilted to one side. He could not help but smile back at the woman. "You look lovely today, Miss White."

"Flattery won't get you far with me, and it certainly won't get you far with Mr. Crane...he's quite upset."

"When _isn't_ he?" Miss White smiled at the comment and shook her head slightly. "I'll take care of this...he been yelling at you again?" Miss White's smile vanished and she managed a small nod.

"He always does...I'm used to it."

"That's messed up, Sno-Miss White."

"What can I do? It's my job...like I said, I'm used to it."

* * *

Her excuse for everything was that she was _used to it. _He knew that the raven haired woman could defend herself. She acted as if she was devoid of any emotion and would wear a cold demeanor.

But he knew that was simply smoke and mirrors.

Her heart ached and he could see it on her gorgeous face. And he knew that she could only take so much before she broke down.

What he was unaware of was that Snow White did indeed break down into tears in the privacy of her own home.

She would sit on her bed and stare out the window, watching the busy streets of New York for a moment before feeling tears roll down her cheeks. She would bring her delicate fingers up to her cheeks and wipe them off in a futile attempt to stop the tears. But they did not stop and she found herself crying herself to sleep every single night.

While she was ashamed of this, at least she knew that no one had publicly witnessed her crying.

A woman like Snow White did not cry.

She had no time to.

* * *

She walked into her apartment.

It was an ample, lovely place;unlike the sheriff's. She tried to keep it tidy, but there were still piles of paperwork that she brought home from the office sitting on her kitchen table. She didn't mind. No one except her ate at the small table. She had no one to share her meals with. Not after a completely failed marriage proving fruitless in value.

No child had come out of the marriage. At the time, Snow had thought nothing of it, but now she found herself in need of one. Someone to provide her company and love.

How she craved these things.

But she knew that she should not. Once, she allowed herself to indulge in company and love. Once, she had fallen in love with the prince, who woke her. Once, she had lived in splendid luxury, dressed in the finest silks and velvets, living in a large palace with expensive portraits and attending important guests. Once, she had allowed the prince to love her, to explore her entire being, to whisper sweet nothings in her ear. Once, she had blushed with girlish delight at the compliments that he gave her.

_Once._

But she was no longer a child. When she came to the realization that the prince had never truly love her and all he had loved was her small body, she became an adult. Childish fantasies were pushed out of her mind and she became a rational being.

There was no such thing as true love, she learned. People were vicious and in order to survive in this cold, twisted world, she had to become as vicious as they were.

She knew that she should not want company and love, for it would only hurt her tremendously.

But she did, anyway.

Perhaps, somewhere in that hardened heart, lay the wild spirit of the girl that she had once been.

She walked over to the kitchen and began preparing her meal. As she cut the carrots and threw them into the pot of boiling water, her thoughts drifted to her sister.

Rose.

She had refused to speak to her in years. Rose was a jealous sort who thought it was cute to sabotage her sister and take away the little happiness that she had. Rose was absolutely wild. Snow would often over hear the stories of the parties Rose would throw. Extravagant, ridiculous things. Her reputation had been thoroughly tainted due to her rather...licentious actions. Her style was odd and unbecoming. Her dresses-much to everyone's shock-were worn sleeveless and rather short and her hair was cut extremely short.

She was as wild as one could get. And in a way, Snow envied her. Snow envied her because she knew that Rose could get away with it. Rose dared to be different and barely cared about some silly reputation.

Snow White was the shining example of what a Gibson Girl should be with her long skirts and her large hair and the way she carried herself. Rose was different. Rose did not want to fit into some mold.

And in some warped way, Snow admired that.

Of course, she would never admit that.

After her meal was finished and she ate, her thoughts drifted to men. She had sworn off men completely, but she was a woman and she could not deny that she craved a man's touch every once in a while.

It did not even have to be an intimate action. It could simply be a kiss to the cheek.

But she could not indulge herself in such fantasies. She could not allow anyone to hurt her again.

She feared being hurt.

So therefore, she vowed off everything that one day might bring her happiness.

For happiness, as she had learned once, soon became a maddening hurt.

* * *

Winters in New York were cold and the days found themselves to be much shorter than the nights.

That was why Bigby often found himself walking alone on the streets, smoking a cigar and watching the other people bustle around, getting their Christmas shopping done as soon as possible.

He always watched for simply one person. A petite young woman always dressed in dark colors with dark hair.

Snow White.

But he knew she was never there. She was at home, sewing a new dress or reading a book. She was never there.

And no matter how much he wished she was there, she was not.

* * *

No matter how much she wished she could finish the ridiculous scarf, she could not.

She had given up about an hour ago and simply sat on her couch, looking at the wall, drowning in her own thoughts. Only a quick knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts.

"Hello?" she called out, slowly standing up. It was unusual to get visitors at this hour. She walked over to the door with caution and slightly opened it.

What lay behind the door was more terrifying than she could have ever imagined.

_Prince Charming._

"What are you doing here?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Can't I come and visit my ex wife?" was his response as he eyed her up and down. "You haven't aged one bit since we first met."

"You haven't visited me in the last four hundred years. There's something you want and I'm not willing to give whatever it is to you."

"Are you so sure about that?"

"I'm absolutely _positive._"

"Come now, Snow. Would you really deny a night with me?"

"Charming, darling. You've never been that impressive in bed. Remember, I was your wife once. All you have is a pretty face that makes the whole experience _bearable_."_  
_

"That's harsh, Miss White." He smiled at her comment and studied her face that he knew so well. "Say, why don't you let me in? The least we can have is a nice, calm conversation."

"You'll just try to...seduce me."

"You're smart. Let me in."

"Ten minutes. Ten minutes and then you're out."

"Fair enough."

She opened the door and allowed the man to walk inside. The man, devoid of all manners, sat on the couch and spread his legs slightly.

"You're lucky you're handsome," Snow began as she walked into the kitchen to brew tea, "That's how you can get away with being so disrespectful." Charming smirked at her comment and patted the seat next to him.

"And you're absolutely gorgeous, Snow."

"I know that," was her cold reply as she set the tea in front of him and sat next to him. "I don't understand why you came back after so long, Charming...after what you did with my sister."

"She started it."

"You could have said no and pushed her off. You were just as willing as she was."

"The flesh is weak...especially for the sister of one of the most gorgeous women I've ever seen. You and her look similar."

"No, we don't."

"Yes you do. Of course, you have your differences. She has a smaller, thinner nose than you and she has brighter eyes than you-"

"Enough! I don't want to hear about how prettier my sister is! I could care less." She took deep breaths as she uneasily sipped on her tea. "I need to go to sleep, so I think it would be wise of you to leave."

A small smile formed on his lips and he brought his dark, strong hand to her face, cupping her cheek.

"Charming, stop it."

He said nothing but leaned in before kissing her. And he knew, that like many years before, she had fallen for him.

The childlike, curious spirit had replaced her icy demeanor once more and she pressed his lips against his once again, feeling his familiar warmth. She allowed him to unbutton her blouse and pull her skirts down until all she was left in was her undergarments.

"You're still as gorgeous as ever," he whispered as he lay her down on the sofa and began unlacing her tight corset. As soon as it was unlaced, Snow took a deep breath and looked up at him. She studied that gorgeous face of his. How those blue eyes sparkled. How they seemed to hold no love in them. Only lust.

"Stop!" she yelled and pushed him away, tears rolling down her cheeks. "You never cared about me. You _never_ loved me. I was a fool to believe that someone as self centered as you could ever love me!"

"Snow-"

"Go away!" He quickly buttoned his shirt and ran out of the apartment, leaving Snow to cry.

Once again, as she picked up her blouse and covered herself with it, she found herself crying until she was left without a single tear.

She cried herself to sleep once again.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: I apologize for the slow updates, but I am a bit busy. I will post updates on my tumblr about this story ((Link to my tumblr can be found on my about page on here)) :) Also, there will be Fables characters and Jack of Fables characters, as will, as this is an AU._

_Chapter Two_

Music. Music had always calmed her down. Whether it hand been the soft strings of a gold harp or the powerful singing of a songstress, it calmed her down. It would settle her stomach and make her comfortable.

But today, music was making the fair princess anxious.

The holidays were upon her and once again, she was to spend it alone.

Just like she had for the past few centuries.

She had received an invitation from the deputy mayor to his house, but she would refuse-as she always had. Ichabod Crane was not a man she trusted and she'd much rather not be in his presence. Especially when he insulted her and screamed at her. _Especially _when he seemed to get a bit too comfortable with the woman and she had to remind him where they were.

_I can spend the holidays by myself. I've done it before. What's so different about this year?_

She did not understand why she craved company. She could not comprehend her new found need of having someone by her side.

But she knew that she craved company.

She knew that she needed to have someone by her side.

But no one was close to the icy woman. They were cordial and formal with her. But she had no close friend that she could laugh and cry with. She had no child to love or to care for. She had no husband who would comfort her in the middle of the night when she awoke from a night terror.

There was no one. There was no one.

And there never would be.

* * *

"Wakey wakey, Sleeping Beauty," Colin's voice rang in the wolf's ears for a moment before he opened an eye. The pig had jumped on his bed once more only to wake him from his turbulent slumber.

"Colin," he mumbled as he sat up in his bed, pulling the covers off of himself. "Can't you let me sleep a little more? It's Christmas..."

"Yeah, and that means you gotta cook up some goddamn turkey." The wolf stared at the pig for a moment with a confused expression.

"_What _turkey?"

"The one you're making for yourself and the ice queen."

"The ice queen...the i-Colin! I'm not inviting Miss White over to Christmas dinner...especially not alone."

"Oh, yes you are."

Bigby said nothing and looked outside the window. The city was covered in a white blanket and for one day the bustling of the people seemed to have slowed down. It was Christmas. A day to spend with family. With friends. With close ones.

But he had no one.

His thoughts wandered to Miss White. He _knew _that she was as alone as he was this Christmas. She was always alone. He knew that she would occupy herself with the task of finishing a large volume or finishing paperwork.

Her job was her family. It was her loving husband and her adoring children. She was devoted to it above all else.

It was lovely to see her so devoted-but yet, it was also a melancholy site.

"I'm not inviting her over," Bigby finally replied. Colin managed a small frown and then smiled at the man.

"Yes you are...you'll get her some nice food and then you'll take her into your bedroom and slide off her cl-"

"That's not fucking happening," he mumbled as he got out of his small bed and searched for something decent to wear.

"Come on, Bigby. You know you'd _like _it to happen."

"Colin, shut the hell up."

"Oh fine, but you know it's the _truth._ You're in _love_ with her."

* * *

She watched the hours go by as she nervously clicked her knitting needles together. She wanted to go back to work-but the office was closed and she had been _forbidden _to even go in there on Christmas day.

She had tried to distract herself with mundane things-but they had all proven to be a failure.

So now here she was, alone.

Alone and unhappy.

Alone and unhappy and bored out of her mind.

She looked down at the wooden floor of her apartment for a moment or two and sighed deeply, thinking about what she could possibly do to relieve herself of this boredom.

All was closed on Christmas day, so she could not go shopping for the new dress patterns she had wanted for the longest time. She could not buy a new dime novel to keep herself occupied with. She could do absolutely no shopping.

Perhaps...she could cook a Christmas dinner.

She laughed at the thought. A Christmas dinner was meant to be enjoyed with a large amount of people. Who would she invite? Her sister and her refused to speak to each other, she would not allow Mr. Crane into her home, and Prince Charming was not exactly the type of person that would be pleasant to have at a sit down dinner.

Perhaps the _sheriff. _He was a reserved man who kept to himself. He didn't shave often and his clothes were often mismatched and somewhat stained. He was an odd, grumpy man who always had a cigarette or cigar in his mouth and who always seemed to look at her differently than the others he knew.

To her, his gaze was soft, kind...protective, even.

But the sheriff wouldn't accept.

She knew he wouldn't.

But did it hurt to ask?

Of course it did. If she was going to ask him simply to be rejected, why should she even ask in the first place?

She shook her head and sighed. Her girlish nature still beckoned her to give it a try. To ask the sheriff to a small, pleasant Christmas dinner.

But her icy demeanor prevented it. It told her that if she were to ask him, she would be a fool.

And the princess was no fool.

* * *

The princess was asleep in her bedroom, her dark hair covering her fair face.

Her chest rose and fell at a steady pace and for the first time in years, she was without a dream-good or bad.

But her peace only lasted a short while, for there was a loud knock on the door.

Snow let out a loud cry as she fell out of the bed, rather ungracefully. Slowly, she stood up and walked towards the door, opening it slightly.

The man that stood before her was none other than the sheriff. He looked rather different. Perhaps it was the fact the fact that his clothes matched or that he had shaved for the first time in what seemed like years. Or perhaps it was the small, nervous smile that played on his face. Either way, Snow was pleasantly surprised to see him there.

"C..come in," she replied, suppressing a yawn as she opened the door, allowing him to enter.

The wolf examined his surroundings. The whole apartment smelled like Snow White. That strange scent of lavender and honey. And it was driving the man mad. He could never block her out, no matter how much he tried. After taking in the sweet scent that he had learned to cherish he stared at the woman, who was outfitted in nothing but a cotton, rose colored nightgown. It was modest, but it was strange. Her hair was let down, her long, raven locks flowing past her shoulders. She wore no rouge, no lipstick.

She looked so young. So innocent.

So vulnerable.

But he knew that she was anything but that. She was a cold, strong woman who silenced men when she walked into a room. She was beautiful, elegant.

She was alone, afraid, and in tears every night.

And that hurt him more than anything.

"What are you doing here?" the princess asked, raising a full eyebrow, her arms crossed.

"I...I brought Christmas dinner." He lifted the bag that he held in one hand. "I thought you might be hungry." Snow stared at him for a moment and nodded softly.

Her walls were melting. The icy castle that she had surrounded herself with was slowly melting away and it felt...lovely. But, there was a small part of her, begging her not to trust the man.

She had trusted men before.

And she had her heart broken beyond repair.

She had to be careful.

"Thank you, you can set it down on the table," she replied, "Give me a moment while I make myself more presentable."

"I think you look perfectly presentable," Bigby said in a quick manner, "I think you look gorgeous."

"_What?_"

There was silence for a moment. The wolf instantly regretted what he had said. He should have held his tongue.

But the princess-her heart swelled for a moment and all qualms about the wolf were gone. He had called her beautiful-gorgeous.

"T...thank you," she mumbled, suppressing a smile. "Do you think you could help me set the table?"

* * *

The meal hadn't been large, but it had been something. And she absolutely loved it.

She had not spent her Holidays alone for the first time in hundreds of years. She had spent it with pleasant, cordial company. Just the way she had wanted it to.

After the meal was over, she and the sheriff cleaned the dishes together and he left, thanking her for being such a graceful hostess, even though he had provided all and she had been in her nightgown all day.

But it was the best present that she could have ever asked for.

Much better than dress patterns or dime novels.

She smiled to herself, feeling once more like a child, still dreaming of a Prince to rescue her.

She had momentarily lost all sense of coldness and was ecstatic.

But that changed as soon as she heard another knock on the door.

"Who is it?!" she asked, believing that the big bad wolf would be the one to respond.

"Charming." Her smile vanished and her walls froze once more.

"Do you need anything?"

"I just want to come in and wish you a Merry Christmas." The princess slowly opened the door, wearing an expression of anger. He walked inside the apartment and stared down at the woman. "Don't look so glum, Snowflake."

"It's Miss White to you."

"Fine, _Miss White_. It's Christmas and I just wanted to give you something."

"I didn't buy you anything. My apolo-" Before she could finish, he leaned down to kiss her gently. The woman grabbed his wrists and squeezed as hard as she could, trying to push away from him.

She would not be seduced again. She was too intelligent, too broken-

Her hands slowly released their grip from his wrists and allowed him to carry her into her bedroom. She didn't want to stop him. She needed him. She missed his touch.

"It's been so long," the prince mumbled in her ear as he unbuttoned his pants quickly.

"You never loved me," she whispered, her breaths becoming quick and shallow as she felt him lift her nightgown up. "Why did you lie?"

"But I do love you, I loved you then and I love you now."

"Don't lie to me." She felt his hand slide under her bloomers and she grabbed his wrist. "Look me in the eye and tell me that you never loved me. Tell me that I meant nothing more than a prize to be won. _Say it._"

"But I cannot. I loved you..."

"But not anymore. I'm just going to be another one of your 'victories' tonight, aren't I?" Charming remained silent. "Say it to me."

"I want you _back._"

"You're just saying that, but that's a lie..." Tears rolled down her cheek and the uncomfortable prince removed his hand slowly and lay down next to her, wrapping his arms around her small body. "It was all a lie..."

"I'm sorry," he replied, "I'm so sorry, Snow. I never meant to hurt you...you never deserved it. Any of it-anything that happened to you. You deserve happiness."

"Look at you, being selfless for once in your life..."

"You love someone."

"That's none of your business..."

The prince got off of this former wife's bed and made his way out the door as he buttoned his pants.

"Promise me something, Snow."

"What?"

"Don't cry tonight."

"..."

"There's someone out there who'll give you the happiness you deserve."

"Are you implying yourself?"

"No, not me. But someone."

Snow remained silent for a moment as she heard the door shut. Then, she understood.

She smiled once more.

"No tears tonight," she muttered, "Because Bigby...I love him."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Again, I must stress this. THIS IS AN AU. Also, thank you so much for these lovely reviews! You guys are so supportive and I apologize for being so slow!_

Chapter Three

Love was foreign to the princess. It was a strange feeling that she could not comprehend. It hurt to love. And it hurt to be loved. Yet, the princess did not know if she had ever truly known love. Yes, she had loved her family.

But she had no family now.

She _had_ loved the prince. She had been taught so much when he placed his warm lips against her cold ones and unclothed her, his hands exploring her body. She had loved him when he provided her with the passion that she had once believed she would never experienced.

But those nights of lustful desires and rough touches were over. They had been for the longest time.

And the princess could not believe, that after all these years, someone loved her. Someone pined for her. Someone wished that he could hold her during those dreadful nights were she was plagued with dreams of dwarves and evil stepmothers.

She refused to believe it.

She had not been loved by one soul for ages.

And how she longed for that strange feeling.

And how she dreaded the fact that she was feeling it at this moment.

"Miss White?" a female voice asked. Snow blinked a few times, attempting to clear her head of her ridiculous love sick thoughts and attempting to focus on the female with glasses who had acknowledged her.

"Oh, Robin, what a...surprise," Snow replied slowly, unable to comprehend why one of the Page sisters had wandered into the office. "I don't see you or your sisters often...after all..."_. _Snow bit her lip.

"We just came to visit for the holidays," Robin replied, sticking a pin into her thick, brown hair. "Jack invited us and we couldn't say no."

"And you girls are unchaperoned, are you not?"

"Well, Miss White, it i-"

"Be careful with Jack." Robin remained silent for a moment.

"I...well..."

"Men will use you. " Snow muttered, her face wearing a somber expression. "Excuse me for a moment." Snow stood up, biting her lip as she walked past Robin. No tears would be shed in front of her.

As soon as she walked into the other room, she felt tears roll down her cheeks and she let out a soft, pitiful cry. She could no longer hold these feelings inside of her. The cold-the cold hurt her and for a moment, she had to rid herself of all of it.

She cried.

She cried for what happened between her and the prince. Perhaps if the prince had never been with her sister, they would have still been together. They could have a family, even.

But it was not so.

She cried for the sheriff and the strange emotions that she concealed for she was terrified to even show him the slightest bit of affection. She knew he loved her.

And perhaps, she was falling in love with him.

Or perhaps, she was simply desperate.

Silly her. Crying over a sheriff-a literal wolf- who would just leave her after he had his way with her. Oh, foolish girl! Had she not learned anything from the men who had done the exact thing to her?! What made the sheriff so different than the rest?

Nothing made him different.

She ceased her tears and stood straight, refusing to cry for anyone any longer.

"Robin," she began as she walked into the room, her eyes swollen and puffy but free from any tear. "Is there any particular reason you came?"

* * *

The princess walked home that evening, refusing to let even a single tear roll down her cherry colored cheek. She had cried earlier; she would not do it again. She could not. That night that Charming had told her that the sheriff had loved her, she had believed him. But Charming was a liar. He manipulated people. He manipulated lonely, beautiful women and kissed their soft, fair cheeks. He told them what they wanted to hear. He told them so that he could climb on top of them and make love to them, only to leave them behind that same night.

Snow knew the prince.

He was her husband.

Her lover.

Once, he had been.

But now he was a stranger, a gorgeous stranger. A stranger whom she found herself wanting terribly, but yet hating every inch of his being for what he had done to her.

As she climbed the stairs to her apartment, she thought of what the prince had done to her. He had hurt her emotionally-going off with any ragamuffin girl he could find. She remembered the lonely nights in the castle, when she would awake from a terrible nightmare. And there would be no one there to comfort her and tell her that the dwarfs were no longer there.

At the time, the somewhat naiive girl could not comprehend where Charming had gone, as the servants did not have the heart to tell the girl. Sorrow was evident in her face, and the servants could not bear to see her eyes water even more than they did.

But the princess eventually found out. She would spend the long, sleepless nights in the empty dining room, staring at the tea and the biscuit that the servants had rushed to make for her.

But her prince-her husband-her lover. He would never come. She would pace across the dimly lit hallways, plastered with portraits of kings and princes that came before her own husband, and she would find herself crying.

Pining for the man who would not come until the morning.

He had only made her suffer. Their matrimony had been tainted by him. Not once had she been unfaithful to the prince.

And in return, he had shown her that his unfaithfulness knew no bounds.

She could not believe what the prince had told her. The sheriff did not love her.

He was incapable of love.

As incapable as she was.

* * *

The year 1913 was close at hand. For most, this meant a time of starting new. A time of leaving all of what happened behind.

For the sheriff, this meant absolutely nothing.

"Three more days," Colin muttered, stumbling across the small apartment. "Three more days until 19 fucking 13."

"And?" Bigby asked, raising a thick eyebrow.

"Maybe in 1913 you'll actually have the balls to bring Snow over and..._bump uglies._"

"Colin, stop. My relationship with her isn't like that."

"Bigby, I ain't stupid. We all know you'd like it to be." Bigby remained silent.

"That's not true," he finally mumbled.

Colin resisted the urge to laugh.

"Sure, sure," Colin replied, winking at Bigby. "I've seen 'er around."

"Colin! You know you're not supposed to snea-"

"She looks awfully sad."

Bigby seemed somewhat puzzled. Snow White often masked her emotions. She refused to cry in public and her laughs were short and forced. She wore a stoic expression. But her eyes, those large eyes that were the color of the bluest ocean, always held sorrow in them.

"She always looks that way, Colin," he finally replied.

"Well maybe, you should make her happy."

"Colin, just shut up...I'm going for a walk." Before Colin could reply, the wolf had left his apartment and was walking through the streets, cigarette in his hand. A man like him could never make a princess like her happy. He was too rough, too uncultured, never fit to be a prince. But perhaps, the raven haired beauty would not care. Her own hands were rough and she had spent years-painful years-as a slave. He had often seen her sitting at the office, staring at those hands. They were not the hands of nobility. They were the hands of a woman who had brought herself off the ground.

But even then, she was a princess. A princess who only appeared in public in her finest attire. She wore chokers with lovely cameos and her dresses were of the finest silks, crafted from her hands.

He loved her. He loved her too much for his own good and he knew that she would never love him back.

He could not blame her.

It was impossible to love a man like him.

* * *

The Page sisters were lovely girls, each with wide eyes of varying colors, framed and enhanced by glasses. There was Priscilla, whose hair was incredibly long and was a fiery shade of red. She was the tallest of the three, with a lovely figure that was often draped with reds of every kind. Robin was petite, with long brown locks that were always pulled away from her face and seemed to wear a cat like smile at times. Hillary, the youngest of the three, wore her blonde hair short and was always decked in the prettiest of pinks. Many people were not fond of the sisters for they were strange, but they did not care. They had each other and that was what mattered.

"Oh, it's Mr. Wolf!" Hillary cried out, clapping slightly. Priscilla, who had been busy reading a sign, turned around to face the sheriff who walked towards them.

"Hello, Sheriff!" Priscilla called out.

The sheriff, who found himself irritated by their voices, frowned slightly. He walked up to them quickly.

"Hello girls," he muttered, "What are you doing out so late?"

"We just wanted to explore the town," Priscilla quickly replied. The girls smiled at the sheriff. He merely sighed in response. "Are you going to see Miss White?"

"Now why in the world-"

"She seemed so sad today when I came to talk to her, "Robin interjected, "Perhaps you might want to talk to her."

"Oh, but she always seems so sad!" Hillary cried out. "Always seems so sad...and I wonder why."

Bigby stared at the three girls for a moment. Hillary seemed so lost in her thoughts over sadness and looked as if she would burst into her own melodramatic tears at any moment.

"You should really pay her a visit," Priscilla began in a soft tone, "She seems like she could really use it."

"Alright, you girls have persuaded me," Bigby replied, managing a haphazard smile at the sisters. Hillary smiled brightly. "You girls take care of yourselves. I'll see you around."

* * *

The apartment seemed quiet when Bigby stood outside of the door. There were no sounds of sobs, only the sounds of scissors cutting what he could only imagine was fabric. Ever so gently, he knocked on the wooden door and moments later, it opened.

"What are you doing here?!" Snow whispered, her sorrow filled eyes growing large.

"The Page sisters they-"

"Come inside before anyone sees you and insinuates that something is going on between us."

The sheriff meekly complied and sat down on the sofa as the raven haired woman closed the door. Her hair, once again, was unswept and she smelled faintly of lilac.

"What did they say?" Snow began, crossing her arms. She seemed tired and unhappy.

"You didn't look so good earlier."

"...Of all people!"

"No, no. They said you seemed sad. And you do. Are you alright?"

"Do you want to know the truth or shall I tell you the pleasant answer?" Bigby stared at her and slowly stood up, walking towards her and took her small hand in his. She looked at his brown hand for a moment before looking up at him with her wide eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she bit her lip. He could feel her pain. "Charming...he told me you loved me...and for once...one moment, I believed him."

Bigby stared at her for a moment, smiling softly.

"I thought that there might be someone who loved me-but then I realized, it was only Charming talking."

His smile faded away.

"Snow," he muttered, placing her hand on his rough cheek. It was a small gesture, but it comforted the two. Her hands were icy against his warm cheek, but he did not care. "Charming's right." Snow drew her hand back and shook her head.

"You can't love me," she replied, shaking her head quickly. "Bigby... Don't lie to me."

"But I'm not!" He had finally said it. After centuries of passing her by, smiling and longing for her...he loved her. He loved her since the moment he had first seen her shackled and grimy. He had loved her when she had returned for him to bring him to this new world. He had loved her when he had heard her talking of the new world splitting ties with England. He had loved her...

Her mouth twitched slightly and it was obvious that she wanted to smile. But she could not.

"D..do you remember?" she began, staring at him, "In 1858..."

He remembered. He remembered. It had been a party, a large one, and the women had been dressed in their prettiest attire and the men looked dapper. But the wolf had refused to come to the party, much to Snow's disappointment. He waited outside of the party, content to sit on a bench and allow the cool air to fly past him. He had been falling asleep when a petite figure, dressed in blue taffeta, ran towards him. He realized that it was Snow. She had looked so gorgeous in her blue dress. Her dark hair was let down and her hands rested against her wide skirts.

She had silently sat besides him and rested her dark head against his shoulder, saying nothing.

And the two watched the party go on from their own silent heaven.

"T...that was when I knew I was in love with you," Snow muttered. "I had feelings for you at first...but...that was the moment." Bigby smiled softly. "But...I..."

"What is it Snow?"

"Do you really love a girl like me?"

"I do!" he cried out, grabbing her small hands. "Snow...I'm not Charming."

"I know that," she whispered, smiling sadly. "I...I know that..."

She bit her lip and began crying once more. Bigby wrapped his arms around her and allowed her to cry into his chest. He felt her shaking and heard her whimper and it hurt him. But he said nothing and allowed her to cry.

Once she was finished, she smiled sadly and went to sit on the couch. Bigby sat next to her and smiled. And once more, she lay her dark head on his shoulder and let her problems go away.

They sat there, saying nothing, in their own silent little heaven.

_Author's Note: I am super sorry this took so long to upload! I have a tooon of things going on and I do apologize. Again, this is an au! So it won't follow canon at all :) Thank you!  
_


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: I'm currently working on another Wolf Among Us/Fables fanfiction, so I'll try to update a bit more quickly :) Thank you for the reviews! You're all so sweet!_

Chapter Four

Snow watched the bustling streets outside of her apartment window as she struggled with her corset. The New Year was less than a day away and the large party was tonight. And the princess had to look her best for it. And that was how she had found herself tightening an already too tight corset. Once she felt as if all the air in her body had escaped it, she knew that the corset had been tightened as much as it could.

She was going to see the sheriff tonight. And he was going to see her. He was going to see her dressed in a gown that had taken her ages to make. That her own hands had so painstakingly created. The dress of soft blue satin and silk. The dress that she had created when she had thought of him. She remembered that she had always worn blue to parties.

_"It compliments your eyes," _the sheriff once said. This brought about a blush to her cheeks and she managed a small smile. She was going to see the sheriff tonight, she thought as she dressed herself in the blue gown.

Perhaps she would even dance with him. She could not help but smile at this thought as she brushed her wavy locks. She reached for the small perfume bottle and took it in a delicate hand, examining the glass bottle. The wolf had once told her that he could smell that sweet scent from far away. She slowly sprayed herself with the perfume and put her earrings on.

She stared at her figure in the mirror. She was not dressed in any way that would cause negative attention to herself, but she believed she looked nice-for once. Her dark, wavy locks spilled over her shoulders and she wore a face of happiness. A face she knew that others did not see very often on the suffering princess. But for once, she held no feelings of suffering or agony in her worn heart.

She only held happiness and hope.

She smiled once more as she grabbed her coat and began walking to the party.

* * *

The sheriff scanned the room, feeling as if the entire community of Fabletown had shown up. The men were dressed in crisp, clean suits and the women wore their hair in the most fashionable coiffures and were dressed in the newest fashions. The chandeliers emitted bright lights, creating a sunny, cheerful appearance in the ballroom. However, something-someone-was missing. The sheriff scanned for a fair skinned woman throughout the crowd that mingled throughout the ballroom. However, the lady was nowhere to be found.

"Where's your date?" a gruff voice asked. Bigby turned around to see Grendel staring down at him, arms folded and wearing a smug grin on his face.

"I don't have one," Bigby replied in an irritated tone.

"Guess the shrew didn't want to come."

"Shut up. You know that's not true. And stop calling her a shrew."

"She sure acts like one. Barkin' out orders and treatin everyone like she's the go-"

"Ahem." Grendel stopped talking and realized that Holly now stood beside him, her white curls piled on top of her head.

"Hello, Holly," Bigby murmured, eyeing the woman. Holly smirked back at him.

"How's life treating you, sheriff? It's treating us just _splendid_," was her sarcastic reply.

"I guess it's alright. How's business at the Trip Trap?"

"Oh, absolutely _peachy_. I mean, apart from Jack and a few of his idiot friends, we get no business at all..._I _can barely afford my glamour, much less my apartment." Bigby remained silent, knowing that Holly was not exaggerating. She was not the kind to. With the temperance movement sweeping through the nation, some Fables had begun to support it, as well. Holly, who owned the small bar, had been suffering the consequences.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Bigby finally whispered. Holly only rolled her eyes in return. "Look...I'll see if we can help you out somehow." Holly's expression softened and she nodded. "You two just have fun tonight."

"Thanks...hope you find the sh-Miss White," Grendel forced the last words before walking away, the white haired woman following him. Once more, Bigby was left alone. The sheriff began to wander through the ballroom, growing desperate to find the raven haired princess. Finally, after some time, he smelled the sweet scent of her perfume and he knew she had arrived. He turned to face her.

She looked so wildly beautiful. Her dress was made of silk and satin and it clung loosely to her petite body. Her hair had been left down and her red lips were slightly parted as she walked with confidence across the ballroom. She showed no sign of fear, of insecurity, and he found that to be absolutely...alluring. Never in his life had he felt this way about Snow. She seemed so absolutely seductive as her hips slightly swayed from side to side.

"You..look...amazing," Bigby mumbled as the princess walked up to him, extending a soft hand for him to press his lips upon. And he did. He took that delicate hand and pressed his rough lips upon the soft, scented skin.

"It's a pleasure to see you as well, Mr. Wolf," Snow replied to his comment. "You look wonderful." Bigby managed a small smile at her compliment. "I apologize for being late."

"That's a first," he replied, remembering how she had never been late to anywhere. "So, how are you?"

"Alright, I suppose...It seems so strange...1913."

"Indeed, it does." The band began to play a lively tune and couples took their positions and began to dance. Bigby and Snow, however; stood and watched the dancing couples.

A hand grabbed Bigby's.

"Would you dance with me?!" the voice of Hillary Page asked. He turned to face the girl, her blonde hair in ringlets and her face free of spectacles for once. "Please?!" Bigby turned to Snow for a moment, who smiled knowingly at him.

"Um...sure," he replied. The blonde grabbed his hand more firmly and let him to the dance floor. Snow could only smile as the wolf seemed to stumble as he attempted to dance with the petite blonde.

"He's a natural, is he not?" Snow raised a brow and turned around to face Charming. He stood calmly, a mischevous expression on his handsome face. "It's almost as if those stumbles were part of the dance."

"You're utterly rude," was Snow's reply.

"I'm only being truthful, Snowflake. Look at the way he dances. He's not comfortable with that Page girl...why isn't he dancing with you?"

"Because Hillary asked him first and we all know that your _darling _Jack won't pay her any mind tonight. She's lonely..." She became quiet and looked at the floor.

"Well, then I suppose Mr. Wolf wouldn't mind if I asked for this dance?"

"Darling, I think you're getting your encounters mixed up. I was unconscious when you found me. Cinderella was the one you asked to dance." She smiled sweetly at him.

"You're absolutely terrible...yet so absolutely alluring.

"Well dear, that makes one of us."

* * *

_3_

_2_

_1_

The room went in an uproar as the clock struck twelve. They threw napkins and handkerchiefs, kissed each other, and sang off key.

But two people were not present to receive the new year with the rest of the party.

The wolf and the princess had stepped outside an hour before, taking their food with them and eating it on the steps outside of the banquet hall. They had shared looks and soft touches, but no words. The silence had been enough for the two. Enough for the two to forget the loud noises that traveled from the inside to the outside. Enough to forget their worries.

_3 _

_2 _

_1_

His lips pressed gently against hers as the two tilted their heads. The princess could feel his hands gently grasp her shoulders as her own hand traveled to cup his stubbled cheek. He never wanted to leave the kiss. He never wanted to cease feeling the sensation of her lips against his. And he knew that she felt the same.

But eventually, he broke the kiss. He broke the kiss for after what seemed like hours, but in reality had only been a few mere, precious moments that he would cherish forever.

"I haven't kissed a woman in centuries," he finally replied. Snow,whose face had become red, laughed.

"With that kiss, I doubt you're telling me the truth, Mr. Wolf."

Bigby said nothing in return, but pressed his lips against her once more. This time, the kiss seemed to be a hungry one and the princess felt his hands claw against her dress. Gently, she pushed away.

"Not here," she replied, "N...not here...not yet...Come with me..."

* * *

She had taken him to a garden. The soft moonlight lit the flowers, showing off their lovely hues. The stars shone over the two and there was not a single noise to be heard. She silently led him to a bench and sat down.

"This is my favorite place," she whispered, placing her hand on top of his. "And it's only just a few blocks away from the office..."

"So this is where you go during your lunch," he asked, nodding slowly.

"Yes, it is..."

"Well, it certainly is peaceful."

"It reminds me of home." Of her home. Not of her apartment, but of her true home. Of the home where she was born-where she was forced to leave at an early age. Of the home where she and her sister would pretend to be knights and merchants.

Of home in a land so far away.

Of a home which only existed in distant memories.

The wolf could sense the pain that she felt and he squeezed her small hand.

"I...it was the loveliest place," she whispered, her voice beginning to break. Bigby looked at her. She had never shown such...weakness before. Her face always remained stoic and she never let her voice even waver slightly. And yet, here she was, with eyes brimming with tears. "You should have seen it...I would have loved to raise children there...that home was the only childhood I ever knew." She looked away. "I need to go home."

"N..no, you don-" Before he could finish, the woman had already run off, leaving him alone in the garden. Leaving him alone in what reminded her of home.

Leaving him alone in the only childhood she ever knew.

* * *

The prince stood outside her apartment door, a jet black eyebrow raised and a grin was spread across his face. His grin became wider when he saw the princess slowly walking towards her apartment, tears rolling down her red cheeks.

"Miss White, are those tears I see?" Snow looked up and her eyes became wide when she realized who was standing in front of her door. "I haven't seenyou cry since our wedding night." Snow wiped her tears away and her frown was replaced with an angry expression.

"Go away, Charming," she said in a low tone, her voice cold and unafraid once more.

"Why, darling? I didn't even get to give you your New Year's kiss."

"And you'll give none to me."

"Did you kiss him?"

"That is confidential, Charming."

"Oh, but you did! And you spent time all alone with him. What a scandalous girl you are." He walked towards her for a moment. "Did he touch you?" Snow looked away, taking deep breaths as she felt him grip her shoulders. "Did he touch you?"

"No...he's not a monster."

"That, you are correct about. He is not _a _monster. He is _the _monster." He pressed a hand against her cold cheek. "Did you want him to touch you?" Snow pushed away from him.

"Not every man's like you, Charming. You seem to forget that."

"You avoided the question, darling. I know you well. You did, didn't you?"

"Shut your mouth!" He immediately ran to her and pressed his hand against her mouth.

"Sshh, darling," he whispered, stroking her dark locks with one hand. "You must be quiet. People will hear you." He let go of her and she remained quiet, walking to her door with her head held high.

She opened the door and walked inside.

"You stay outside," was her command. The prince frowned slightly. "What do you want, Charming? You've been doing this quite often and frankly, I'm tired of it."

"I want _you_, Snow White. I want you for myself...and I don't want the wolf to have you..."

"I'm not property. I'm not Bigby's and I'm most certainly not yours."

"I will not refute that point, dear. But will you let me in?"

"No."

"Sn-"

"NO!" She slammed the door shut and began to sob, running her hands through her hair. She fought tears all the way to her bed and let out painful cries as she unlaced her corset. She let out small whimpers as she pulled her nightgown on and stopped as soon as she heard a knock on the door.

"Go away, Charming!"

"Um, it's Bigby...you forgot your gloves," said a voice from outside. Snow's eyes widened and she slowly opened the door.

"Co..come in," she whispered. "I...I'm sorry ab-"

"It was painful for you." He held out her gloves and she took them slowly.

"T...Thank you." She stared at him for what seemed like ages and without warning, threw herself against him, pressing her lips against his. He grabbed onto her tightly and pressed his own lips against hers.

"What about now?" he asked breathlessly, breaking the kiss for a mere moment.

The princess smiled and nodded as she led him to the bedroom.

"Yes, now...don't ever let me _go_."


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Hello! Sorry about the wait again, just posted another Wolf Among Us fanfiction ((Rendezvous Noir)), so I was busy with that :) Thank you so much for your patience and as usual, reviews are always appreciated!_

_Also, the first part of this chapter contains sexual content. You're more than welcome to skip this :)_

Chapter Five

_'Don't ever let me go.'_

Her words echoed in the wolf's mind as he struggled to unlace her corset, as his hands caressed her small body, as his lips pressed against her neck and her chest. He could hear her soft, shaky breaths and could feel her confusion. He took his hands away from the corset and stared at the fair skinned woman, whose lips were parted and face was flushed.

"Are you alright?" he asked, placing a hand on the woman's small hand. "If you don't want to do this, we don't have to." She stared at him for a moment and a smile blossomed on her face. She wanted it-she wanted him. She wished to give herself to him for she _loved _him. She loved him more than she had loved her other two lovers.

The love that she had held for Brandish was a childish, foolish, rushed love which disappeared as soon as he did. Her love for Charming was rushed and confused. She had married him so quickly-she had not breathed a single word on their wedding night as he unknowingly hurt her. She was left alone by him for long periods of time and her love for him began to bury itself in the nether regions of her cold heart.

But him-but the wolf. Her love was different for him. Their was no foolishness she held in her love for him nor was it confusing for her. He had taken his time with her. He had waited centuries-unlike Charming, who grew tired of her after three days-the wolf had waited patiently behind the shadows, never rushing the princess, allowing her to take all the time she needed.

And she had.

She was ready. She was ready to take a risk with him. There was no denying that their feelings were mutual and that their love was unconditional.

"I _want _to do this," she whispered, taking deep breaths. The wolf nodded and without another word, continued to place his lips against hers. His hands traveled once more to her corset and after five minutes, he was able to unlace it off of her. He broke the kiss for a moment and stared at her bare, upper half. She was slim and her figure was a soft, subtle hourglass. Her breasts were of an average size, but that was not what the wolf was staring at. He was staring at...her frailty. She looked so soft, so delicate, almost like a porcelain doll that could break if one handled it incorrectly.

But he would not handle her incorrectly. He knew how she had been handled time and time again. How she had been shattered and broken. He placed a rough hand on her cheek, which surprised the princess slightly. Never had she been treated with such gentleness-and what an irony that the big bad wolf-of all her partners-was the one who was the gentlest.

"A..are you sure?" he asked, raising a thick brow. The princess nodded as she continued to take deep breaths. The wolf could smell her fear and excitement-each intoxicating to him.

"I'm positive."

That was all it took.

The wolf gently laid her out on the bed and began to suck on her neck, causing the princess to let out small cries of pleasure. His hands ventured to her breasts as his mouth ventured to her chest. He looked up at the princess, who had her eyes closed and whose cries were beginning to get slightly louder. He smirked at her, pleased to know that he was pleasing his princess. He continued to rub her breasts as his lips wandered down to her stomach, kissing it softly. She let out a cry and placed her hands on his shoulders, gripping them tightly.

"Bigby," she whispered. The wolf immediately stopped and stared at the woman. She looked confused. "W...what in the world are you doing?"

"Is it not to your liking?"

"Y...yes, it is...it's the best sensation I've experienced during centuries...but, no other man has done this. They just...begin right away." The wolf shook his head slightly, realizing how...inexperienced she was. He knew of her previous...encounters. He had smelled it on her the first time they had met. But he never knew how careless they had been with her.

"Not even Charming the womanizer?" he asked in a soft voice. The woman laughed for a moment and shook her head. Especially not Charming.

She remembered their wedding night. It had been such a cold night and the princess-still freshly wounded from living so long with the dwarfs who had abused her almost every night-had been terrified. She remembered how the prince had looked at her with a hungry look. How he had grabbed her and thrown her on the bed, laying her on her stomach.

She hadn't even seen his face.

All she could remember was a terrible pain-and then the sweet escape of sleep.

She knew that he had not hurt her on purpose, but he had been so careless.

So unlike the wolf, who constantly asked her if she was alright. Who constantly made sure that she was enjoying herself as much as he was.

"Not even him," she replied. He smirked once more before removing her pantaloons, leaving her completely exposed. She lay there, shivering as he stood up and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a strong and hairy chest. She could only bite her lip as he removed his belt, followed by his pants and underwear. She said nothing as she stared at this man-his body so unlike any other she had seen. His body demonstrated his ruggedness and his somewhat rough behavior. But to her, it seemed so inviting, so gentle.

As long as she was in his arms, nothing would ever go wrong.

"Are you alright with this?" he asked once more. She smiled and nodded. She closed her eyes as she felt him crawl on top of her, pressing his lips against her own as he penetrated her. She let out a gasp and he wrapped his arms around her. "Does it hurt? Do you need me to stop?"

"N..no," she whispered, "Don't stop...it'll be over in a moment...just have...t..o ...get...use..." She let out a sigh and smiled at him. He was comforting to have close to her. He would never hurt her. She knew he would never. She continued to let out gasps as she felt him moving inside of her. As she heard his comforting words. As she saw him smile down at her-

"I love you," she cried out in between gasps. The wolf's smile became large and he placed a large kiss on her lips as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

He had heard her say those words. That she loved him. Their feelings were mutual. This-this was more than just a physical, lustful action. This was what he had always dreamed of. For the princess to tell him that she loved him.

"It's been so long," he whispered before grunting slightly. Snow let out a moan in response before smiling again. She nodded. "You're the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen in my life. And you've got the loveliest qualities out of any woman I've ever met." Her face went red and she laughed.

"You mean me? The _shrew?"_ the wolf laughed in reply before kissing her. After the kiss, his breaths became shorter and he began panting. "Aren't you going to climax?" he asked after a while. Her eyes widened. He would...let her _climax_? Never in her life had she been allowed nor given the chance to. She nodded gently and after a few minutes, she did.

He quickly followed, ejaculating inside of her. After the ordeal was over, he slowly removed himself from her and rolled over next to her. The princess' face was red and her body covered in sweat. She smelled of him-of cigarettes and his scent. He ran his hands through her thick, dark hair and pulled the covers over the woman.

She wrapped her small arms around him and whimpered softly.

"What is it, Snow?" he asked, utterly confused as he wrapped his own arms around her. The princess looked at him with her wide, blue eyes.

"Don't ever let me go."

* * *

He awoke in a hazy bliss the following morning, his arms wrapped around the princess. He ran his hands through her raven hair, enjoying her soft breathing. She was at peace. After centuries of anxiousness and suffering, she was finally at peace. For she had found love. She had found it in the misfit. The big bad wolf.

And he had found his own love in her.

It was finished. No longer would they go back to the days of quiet longing and internal suffering. For now, they belong to the other and they would not walk alone.

"I'll always be here," he whispered into her ear. She stirred a bit and let out a soft groan. "It's okay, Snow. It's only me." She opened an eye and smiled softly. She had woken up to love. She could not remember the last time she had woken up to it. But that did not matter. All that mattered was that he was there. And she felt loved. "Are you hungry, darling?"

"Yes," she whispered, nodding slowly. He got out of her bed and reached for his trousers. "Bigby?"

"Huh?"

"What will they say?" The wolf turned around to stare at her. She wore a face of concern and he realized what she was talking about. "I..it'll be the scandal of the century if they find out."

"Well, let them find out." The princess remained silent. "Snow, do you really care what people have to say? So _what_ if they find out? It's our lives and not theirs...I love you more than anything in this whole forsaken world."

"I love you, too," she replied, smiling softly. He smiled at her as she pulled the covers off of her small body. She got out of bed and grabbed her undergarments, slipping them on.

"I'd do anything for you."

"Really?"

"Of course." She smiled at him once again and felt his arms wrap around hers. She pressed her soft lips against his. With him, nothing could go wrong. She loved him. She would follow him to the ends of the earth if the need arose. For he would never let her go.

* * *

The following weeks went like a dream. Long days were spent strolling throughout the town, his arms around his. She would wear her large hats and he in turn, would attempt to take them off. He always won. Her dark hair would fall in cascading waves and she would laugh as he held her hat over her.

He would buy her flowers- violets-ever Saturday and chocolates. Life was a dream with him. A never ending dream. She was falling only more deeply in love with him than she had before.

The nights would be long and filled with a never ending passion. She would fall in his arms every night and he would kiss her hair and whisper sweet nothings in her ear.

Those weeks were perhaps the loveliest weeks of her entire life.

But she woke up from that dream one day. She woke up from it in a cold sweat and a severe stomach ache.

"Snow?!" Bigby cried out, looking at his lover, who was crying in pain. "Snow, are you alright?" She shook her head. "W..what's wrong? Do you need Swineheart?"

"N..no," she whispered, getting up and wiping her tears. "R...restroom..." He nodded slowly and helped her to the restroom. Minutes later, the princess came out, wiping her mouth and whimpering.

"Snow, are you alright? A..are you feeling better?"

"A little..."

"What's wrong?" The princess looked away, biting her lip.

"Nothing..."

"There's something you're not telling me."

"It's fine...I just...must have had something bad to eat." The wolf looked at her for a moment and his mouth opened slightly.

"You're not...implying..." She looked him in the eye and nodded slowly. "Are you...?"

"I might be pregnant," she finally admitted. "It's a possibility..." His expression softened slowly and he managed a small smile.

"Really?"

"Yes." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead, overjoyed by the possibility. But the princess was mortified. She could only stay there, his arms wrapped around her. "Snow...are you crying?" He looked down to see tears roll down her cheeks.

"I...I didn't know this was going to happen," she whispered. "I...we should have been more carefu-"

"Snow, I'm not going to leave you..."

"P..please don't..."

"I'll never let you go, Snow."

"D..do you promise?"

"I _do."_

_AN: Sorry for this chapter taking so long! I'm currently working on two other Wolf Among Us fanfictions so you can read those, as well! As always, reviews are totally appreciated! Thank you so much!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Five

_Author's Note: I made you guys wait nearly a month for this and I'm super sorry! Life just got in the way, but I'm back! Thank you for your patience!_

The world had fallen for her. She would find herself desperately picking up the shattered pieces and hurriedly fixing it. But, her world did not look the same. It was disfigured and she felt uneasy even thinking about it.

The days moved much too fast for the princess. She wished that they wouldn't. Each day only brought her closer to that dreaded day when her reputation would be completely stained and she would be forced to announce her pregnancy.

The wolf was beyond elated for the arrival of the child. He wished that the days would move quickly and would often talk to the princess about the child. The princess would merely sit there with a dazed, confused expression. The wolf, taking no notice, would continue to talk to her about the child. Only when she began to whimper and ask for him to bring the bucket, he would stop talking and realize that his lover was in pain. He would oblige to her and she'd bury her face into the bucket. All he could do was press his hand against her back gently and speak sweet nothings to her.

He had moved in with her, making sure that even the smallest of her demands had been met. She often woke up ill and would spend an hour inside her restroom. The wolf would patiently wait outside of it, wondering when her pain would stop.

But her pain did not stop. It only became worse and the wolf begged for her to call Swineheart. The princess, terrified, would shake her head and force herself to get ready for work. The wolf would only stare at her, shaking his head gently.

"You shouldn't keep working," Bigby mumbled one morning. "You need rest and a doctor. Preferably Swineheart."

"I'm perfectly fine," Snow replied in a stubborn voice as she placed an arm against her stomach, wincing in pain. "I don't want him to know."

"Everyone's going to know sooner or later, Snow! We live together now and people are going to put two and two together! Who cares about some g-"

"Stop screaming at me." She stared at the wolf, tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's not that, Bigby...I'm..._afraid_."

"Of what?" Silence filled the apartment and she shook her head.

"Of carrying this child...I've never done this before and here I am, carrying an unplanned child. I don't have the faintest clue as to what I'm doing and I have to keep work-"

"Look, I'll provide for this family. You're going to be able to stay at home and take care of the ba-"

"Crane will know..."

"And?" Snow said nothing. She could say nothing. The wolf did not know of Crane's advances towards her. Of his too friendly touches, of his innuendos aimed at her. She had not told the wolf about this. She had hidden it from him. And now Crane would know of her relations with the wolf. She looked away. "Snow, is there something you're not telling me?"

"I think I'll stay home today," she whispered, still looking away. "I really don't feel well...perhaps it's time it's known." Bigby smiled and reached for her small, fair hand. "I can do this."

"What's with the change of heart?" He asked.

"I love you, Gaffer Wolf...and I don't care what anyone says." She felt liberated. It was true. She loved him. No longer did she fear what Crane, Charming-anyone would think. She loved Bigby. For he was all she had.

And she was all he had.

* * *

The doctor was the first to know about the princess' condition. He made no remarks or comments about it and to Snow's surprise, he congratulated her.

The pains would pass, he said.

And they did. She would rest when she needed to and the wolf always took care of her, fed her, loved her like no one ever had. And how she loved him back. She had loved the wolf before, but now she was falling irrevocably in love with him. She carried his child...his child that he had helped create. And she began to love it. She had once seen it as a burden, but it had become a blessing to her. She would often press her hand against her stomach and hum to herself, wondering if the child could listen to his mother's sweet Alto voice as she sang while making dinner for her and the father of the child.

She would wait with anticipation, wondering when it would make the first soft movements inside of her. And at times, she would stare at herself in the mirror, watching herself change gradually.

The day came. The day came when she made her pregnancy public, allowing the entire town to know. Gossip ran wild across the town. She would often hear the rude remarks of others as she shopped for her food and as she walked down the streets of the city, getting ready for the arrival of the child. Their comments hurt, but she knew that she should pay no mind to them. The only one that mattered to her was the wolf and he loved her.

She smiled as she walked down the streets one afternoon, remembering how the wolf always held her in his arms as they slept and how he would bring pastries to the princess. How he would kiss her tenderly every morning before leaving, allowing her to feel his stubble scratch against her skin. Allowing her to feel his warm lips against he own cold ones.

How his arms would hold her firmly, a silent sign of protection. She knew that he loved her and she loved him more than anyone could. For once in her long, tragic life, she had found hope and unconditional love in the big bad wolf.

* * *

"Would you ever marry me?" the wolf asked one afternoon as the two ate dinner. The princess-now about four months along-looked up from her plate and raised a brow. "Well, would you?"

"Do you even need to ask that question, Mr. Wolf?" she asked, her lips curling into a small smile.

"...Well..."

"The answer is yes, darling. It will always be yes. You've proven to me that you're much more than just a man who is looking for something short. You love me, darling...and I love you so much." Silence filled the room for a moment before the princess looked down at the floor. "My dear, are you planning to propose to me?"

The wolf said nothing in return. The woman looked up for a moment, tucking a stray strand of raven colored hair behind her ear.

"Bigby?"

"I'm leaving, Snow," he finally began after letting out a sigh. Snow's eyes widened and the playful smile that she had on her face was immediately replaced by a look of concern. "I have...things to do...but I'll be back by the time the baby's born. I'd never leave you, Snow." The princess bit her lip, keeping tears from rolling down her cheeks. "Snow...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."

"I'm pregnant," she whispered, a single tear escaping her eyes. He nodded and looked at her for a moment.

"Snow, I promise you that what I'm going to do is going to be positive for us..."

"What is it?"

"I can't tell you, Snow."

"...Get out of my house."

"Snow, listen, I don-"

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Her voice rose and she began to shake, the tears falling down her cheeks freely now. "I thought you were different!"

"I'm not going to leave you forever, Snow. It's only for a few months."

"...How could I have been such a fool? What if you don't come back? I should have gotten rid of the..._thing._"

"Don't say that," he growled, staring at her with golden eyes. "You will not touch our child. I'll be back in three months time. I'm leaving next week. Whatever you do, take care of our baby."

"What if you don't come back?"

"I will...and when I come back, we'll have a glorious wedding." He stopped for a moment and pulled out a small box, getting down on one knee. "I've loved you more than any other woman...and it would be an honor to be your husband." The princess looked away for a moment, wiping her eyes. "Snow?"

"I...It's too sudden," Snow replied in a hasty tone. "I...I...I..."

"Yes?"

"Alright. But you'd best come back in three months time."

"I swear to you, I will." He looked at her with a hungry look in his eyes and pressed his lips against hers as he led her to the bedroom, reassuring her that he would return in three months time.

* * *

He was gone. The wolf had left her. All she had loved had gone with him. She knew he would return, but every day seemed grueling and lengthy. Each day without him was pain.

She spent long hours staring at her ring, the stone as blue as her tear filled eyes. It was a reminder to her that he would return to her. He would not leave her alone. He was not that kind of man. He loved her. He did-he always had.

"And he always will," she whispered to herself every morning as she shuffled towards the bathroom. "He always will."

* * *

The months passed and still no word of the wolf. The princess-who was now rather large with child- began to worry. Suppose he were dead?

Suppose he had _left her?_

No, there was no possibility of that. He was not Charming. He would never be Charming.

But he had not returned.

She lay in bed one morning, unable to get up. She lay there, drumming her fingers gently on her bump, feeling the child kick in return to their mother's fingers. She smiled as she felt the movement. This was her child-the wolf's child.

And she loved it. She loved it more than she loved the wolf. For, if the wolf did not return, this child would stay by her side.

"But he will return," she mumbled to herself as she pulled the covers over her cold body. "He wi-" She heard the front door open slowly and she sat up. All lethargic feeling left her and she ran toward the front door, ready to greet the wolf. "Bigby! BIGBY!"

"Not Bigby," a low, male voice replied. The princess stood frozen, looking at the man...she had known him once long, long ago. And he had returned. She opened her mouth and let out the softest of cries.

"_Brandish."_

_Author's Note: THIS IS A MONTH LATE AND I AM SO SORRY I MADE EVERYONE WAIT THIS LONG. I PROMISE I'LL UPDATE WAY MORE QUICKLY NOW. FORGIVE ME. Thank you for your support!_


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